Boulder Creek resident's photo is a finalist for Army contest

Boulder Creek resident Kimberly Monack's photo of her then 15-month-old grandson, Eddy Monack, gazing up at this memorial at a park in Cupertino, is a finalist in the U.S. Army's 'Year in Photos 2012' contest. Voting ends Thursday. (Kimberly Monack/Contributed)

BOULDER CREEK -- An image of a toddler gazing up at a plaque honoring his country's service members has captured hearts around the country, and could win first place in the U.S. Army's "Photo of the Year" contest.

Longtime Boulder Creek resident Kimberly Monack snapped the shot three months ago, while she and her then 15-month-old grandson, Eddy Monack, were on their way home from a family gathering in Palo Alto. All three of Monack's children have served in the U.S. Army, including a son who is still on active duty, she said.

She snapped the photo at Cupertino Memorial Park, on the same day she learned about the park from her son Tommy Monack, who served for four years and is now attending DeAnza College on the GI Bill.

"I was just taking a bunch of pictures because there were all the different branches of service honored there," she said Wednesday﻿, adding "it's a great memorial and I had no idea it was there."

When she arrived home, she downloaded the photos and "that one really stood out to me," she said. So she posted it on her Facebook page, and it took off from there.

"Other military support groups were using it and posting it on their Facebook pages, so I was quite overwhelmed by the response I got," said Monack, an administrative assistant at Boulder Creek Community Church.

It was shared so many times, in fact, that she decided to send it to the Army in an email, saying it "had a lot of meaning to our family" and encouraging them to use it.

Just by chance, she recently discovered the photo had been entered into the contest, and is a leading contender for top honors. But whether she'll receive a prize is beside the point.

"I don't expect anything," she said, and if she wins, "I feel like I'll have walked away with a great prize with my grandson and a photo that has been shared with many and liked it ... It's not about me, it's about them. They're the ones that are making the sacrifice."

WHAT: Photo of a Boulder Creek resident's grandson has been entered in the U.S. Army's 'Year in Photos 2012' contest, which ends Thursday.TO VOTE: Go to www.army.mil/yearinphotos/2012/october.html and click on the 'like' button directly beneath the photo.